After meeting with Attorney General-designate Michael Mukasey, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy said that he expects the nominee to win confirmation. The AP reports Leahy said Mukasey is "headed for swift approval with scant objections." Leahy said, "I would expect him to be confirmed." On CNN's "The Situation Room", Leahy said, "I expect that Judge Mukasey will be confirmed, but I think he will also show an entirely different chapter at the Department of Justice. I think he's prepared to do as much as he can the year he will have to rectify a number of the problems caused by the last attorney general." The Hill also says Democrats, "including Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.)," have "predicted scarce opposition to Mukasey."
Another AP dispatch reports Mukasey "told Senate Democrats Tuesday exactly what they want to hear during his confirmation hearings: He'd be willing to say 'no' to the White House and review the administration's eavesdropping and interrogation techniques." The Los Angeles Times says that "with even Democrats expressing support for the nominee, the confirmation hearing...may seem short on drama." But Mukasey is "facing some tough questions: How does he plan to restore morale at the Justice Department? Will he resist political pressure from the White House? Will he tell Bush if he believes the administration is veering into legally questionable terrain?" The New York Times reports Democrats "said they would question Mr. Mukasey about whether he supported the administration's antiterrorism policies, especially its use of harsh interrogation techniques for terrorist suspects and its domestic eavesdropping program."
Leahy Wants Answers On Contempt Citations Roll Call says Leahy "intends to grill" Mukasey "during today's confirmation hearings over whether he would enforce contempt of Congress citations that could still be issued in the US attorneys investigation." Mukasey's answer "on the contempt question could determine how a Justice Department with him at the helm would respond to potential future claims of executive privilege on a wide variety of subjects."
On another hot-button issue, McClatchy reports over 40 Republican members of Congress "on Tuesday demanded assurances from President Bush's attorney general nominee that he will investigate the prosecution of two Border Patrol agents now in prison for the shooting of a Mexican drug smuggler."
The strong reaction of Turkey, an important US ally, to a House bill that would label the deaths of Armenians just before the birth of the modern Turkish state a "genocide" has several key lawmakers second-guessing their support of the measure. The AP reports the bill "was in jeopardy Tuesday after at least a half dozen Democrats withdrew their support," while "several other Democrats implored Speaker Nancy Pelosi to hold off, saying they feared the resolution would cripple U.S. relations with Turkey." The "push back is a major setback to Pelosi and other Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill."
The New York Times says nearly "a dozen lawmakers had shifted against the measure over the last 24 hours, accelerating a sudden exodus that has cast deep doubt over the measure's prospects. Some representatives made clear that they were heeding warnings from the White House" and from the Turkish government. McClatchy Newspapers reports, "Amid intense lobbying pressure, 17 House of Representatives members have withdrawn their support for the genocide resolution ... The flips are coming faster, with seven lawmakers withdrawing their support Monday, and they could put the resolution's future at risk." The Wall Street Journal says the "rapid erosion signals momentum has shifted in favor of Turkey and the Bush administration." The Politico says House Armed Services Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) "circulated a letter on Capitol Hill Tuesday urging Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) not to bring the bill to the floor."
Former House Leaders Now Lobby For Turkey The New York Times notes that former Rep. Bob Livingston, who resigned on the verge of becoming speaker in 1999, has since "been the main lobbyist for Turkey in blocking Congressional efforts to pass an Armenian genocide resolution. After succeeding twice before - and collecting more than $12 million in fees for his firm, the Livingston Group - he is pushing once again for his client." The Times "also reports that former House Democratic leader Richard Gephardt "began working for Turkey in March under a yearlong contract worth $1.2 million."
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Congress is scheduled to vote Thursday on whether to override President Bush's veto of Congress's $35 billion expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program. The Financial Times calls the debate over the last few weeks "perhaps the most bizarre political showdown of George W. Bush's presidency." While the President says the proposed expansion "is fiscally irresponsible and a step towards European-style government healthcare," a "number of "leading Republicans -- including Charles Grassley and Orrin Hatch, senators from Iowa and Utah respectively -- have dismissed his argument as a 'red herring.'"
McClatchy reports that the SCHIP bills' supporters have engaged in a "final hard push to change the minds and votes of GOP lawmakers" who support the veto, with supporters holding 275 vigils at congressional offices and advocacy groups providing talking points for supporters. McClatchy reports that these "grass-roots" efforts will likely not succeed, noting that "few expect" them to overturn the veto.
The Hill reports that Democrats, "[e]mboldened by new polling data" plan to continue "criticizing Republicans who support President Bush's veto of a bill to expand a children's health insurance program." But on its Web site, NPR's Morning Edition notes that no Republicans who voted against the bill have switched and cites an NPR-Kaiser Family Foundation-Harvard School of Public Health poll for explanation. Robert Blendon, Harvard professor of health policy and political analysis: "The majority would vote to overturn the president's veto on this, but enough of a minority wants to stay with the president's position on this that that veto is likely to be sustained." The results of the NPR poll are similar to those of Tuesday's USA Today /Gallup poll.
Pelosi Lashes Out At "Hate Radio." The AP reports that at a press conference attended by Paul Simon, Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized "hate radio," saying that attacks on the Democrats' poster child for the SCHIP debate, Graeme Frost, 12, "were 'beneath the dignity of the debate' that surrounds the legislation."
The CBS Evening News reported "sparks flew on Capitol Hill today over the Jena 6 case," with Democrats "accusing the Federal Government of ignoring hate crimes against blacks." Congressional Democrats "blasted Justice Department officials for not taking action against white students in Jena, Louisiana, after they hung nooses, symbols of racial hatred, from a tree outside their high school." Donald Washington, US attorney in western Louisiana, "said he, too, was offended and did talk to the local district attorney, who refused to prosecute the white students because they were juveniles." In his Washington Post column, Dana Milbank writes US attorney Washington, "a former oil company lawyer, seemed anguished. 'I am a child of the '60s,' he replied. 'I am, I think, what Dr. King was trying to get us to do, trying to get us to be.'"
The AP also notes that "since the Jena case made headlines, there have been a number of other nooses found in high-profile incidents around the country -- in a black Coast Guard cadet's bag, on a Maryland college campus, and, last week, on the office door of a black professor at Columbia University in New York." The Washington Post also reports the story.
The Chicago Tribune notes that "during the four-hour hearing, boycotted by most Republican members of the House panel, many African American committee members said they remained dissatisfied with the reluctance of Justice Department officials to intervene more forcefully in what they regard as the excessive prosecution of six black Jena students for a Dec. 4 attack on a white student." USA Today notes "Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Tex., the ranking member on the committee, said he welcomed the hearings and praised witnesses for seeking 'healing solutions.' 'What we do not need is stoking racial resentment,' Smith said."
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A new CNN/Opinion Research poll shows Giuliani leading the GOP field with 27 percent, followed by Fred Thompson, 19 percent; John McCain, 17 percent; Mitt Romney, 13 percent; and Mike Huckabee, 5 percent; with the rest of the field at 3 percent or less. CNN's "The Situation Room" reported Fred Thompson "got into the Republican race with great expectations," and "sure enough, just after he got in last month, Thompson and Rudy Giuliani were just about tied for front-runner. But since then, Thompson has taken a lot of flak for a lackluster campaign."
On the Democratic side, the CNN poll shows Hillary Clinton breaking the 50 percent mark. She now leads Barack Obama 51 percent to 21 percent, followed by John Edwards with 15 percent. The rest of the field is in the low single digits.
A new set of state polls shows that Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani can likely count on at least three states in the February 5 de facto national primary. Quinnipiac University today released a set of three presidential polls conducted in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, and Clinton and Giuliani are dominant in all three. Under GOP nominating rules, winning all three states would give Giuliani 15 percent of the delegates he would need to win to take the nomination. The Democratic situation isn't quite as clear cut, as Party rules require proportional allocation of the delegates, but Clinton could still top 10 percent of the delegates she needs for the nomination in just these three states.
On the Democratic side, the New York poll shows Clinton leading Obama 49 percent to 12 percent, with Edwards at 11 percent and the rest of the field at 2 percent or less. In New Jersey, Clinton leads 46 percent to 20 percent for Obama, with Edwards at 9 percent. In Connecticut, Clinton leads with 43 percent, followed by Obama, 16 percent; Edwards, 8 percent; and local Chris Dodd, 7 percent.
On the GOP side, Giuliani leads in New York with 45 percent, followed by Fred Thompson, 12 percent; John McCain, 9 percent; and Mitt Romney, 7 percent. The rest of the field is at 1 percent or less. In New Jersey, Giuliani leads with 48 percent, followed by McCain, 12 percent; Thompson, 12 percent; Romney, 7 percent; and the rest of the field at 1 percent or less. In Connecticut, Giuliani leads with 42 percent, followed by McCain, 14 percent; Thompson, 10 percent; Romney, 7 percent; Ron Paul, 3 percent; and Mike Huckabee, 2 percent.
In general election trial heats, Clinton looks to be an easy winner in New York, topping Giuliani 50 percent to 36 percent. However, it appears as though Giuliani puts the other two states, both traditionally "blue," in play. The two frontrunners are tied at 44 percent apiece in New Jersey, and Clinton holds a 44 percent to 42 percent lead in Connecticut.
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Some clarity is beginning to emerge in the presidential nomination schedule. One important piece fell into place yesterday. The Des Moines Register reports Iowa Republicans "have scheduled the party's presidential caucuses on Jan. 3, arguing the date would preserve the state's coveted leadoff status but avoid starting the nominating process in 2007. Meanwhile, Democratic officials in Iowa are keeping Jan. 14 as the date for their party's caucuses, as they watch for signals from other early nominating states." Republicans "have not caucused separately from Democrats in Iowa since 1972. Although the calendar remained in flux, some said today's vote by the Iowa GOP's state central committee starts down that path." The AP adds that Chuck Laudner, executive director of the Iowa GOP, said, "We figured putting it on (Jan. 3) gets the ball rolling, and our county chairs will be very thankful and they can get busy." Laudner "said Republicans will continue discussions with the Iowa Democratic Party, which has yet to choose a caucus date. Democrats are believed to be considering Jan. 3 and Jan. 5." Historically, the New Hampshire primaries are scheduled 8 days after the Iowa caucuses. McClatchy, Los Angeles Times, New York Times and The Hill run similar reports.
With the presidential campaigns filing their official fundraising reports with the Federal Elections Commission last night, a clearer picture of the fundraising situation has emerged. Here is where the candidates currently stand, taken from wire reports, FEC.gov, CQ's Political Money Line, and other media sources.
Hillary Clinton. The Clinton campaign brought in $27.3 million in the 3rd quarter, of which $23.7 million can be used in the primaries. The campaign spent $22 million during the quarter and has $50.5 million on hand, of which about $34.6 million is available for the primaries.
Barack Obama. The Obama campaign brought in $20.6 million in the 3rd quarter, of which about $20 million is available for the primaries. Obama's campaign spent $21.5 million during the quarter. He has $36.1 million in the bank, of which about $32 million can be spent on the primaries. The campaign also had $1.4 million in debt.
John Edwards. Edwards's campaign brought in $7.1 million for the quarter and spent about $8.2 million. The campaign has $12.4 million on hand, of which $10 million is available for the primaries. In addition, the campaign is expecting $10 million in federal matching funds.
Bill Richardson. Richardson's campaign brought in $5.3 million in the 3rd quarter and spent $6.6 million. The campaign has $5.8 million in the bank, including about $5.1 million for the primaries, and no debt.
Joe Biden. Biden's campaign brought in $1.72 million during the quarter, and spent $2.6 million. Biden's campaign finished the quarter with $1.9 million in cash, of which $1.2 million is good for the primaries, and $128,000 in debt.
Chris Dodd. Dodd's campaign raised $1.5 million in the 3rd quarter, spent $4 million, and had $3.9 million on hand, including $2.4 million for the primaries, and no debt.
Dennis Kucinich. The Kucinich campaign raised about $1 million in the quarter, almost doubling its total take for the entire campaign. The campaign spent $888,000 and has $327,000 in the bank with no debts.
Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani continue to dominate the GOP field financially.
Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani brought in $11.5 million in the 3rd quarter, of which $10.2 million is available for the primary. Giuliani spent $13.1 million during the period, including about $480,000 on media, mostly radio advertising. Giuliani ended September with $16.6 million on hand, of which about $11.6 million is available for the primary.
Mitt Romney. Romney raised $9.8 million in the 3rd quarter, and loaned his campaign an additional $8.5 million. The campaign spent $21 million during the quarter, including $6 million on TV and radio advertising. Romney finished the quarter with $9.2 million in the bank. Romney's campaign has $17.4 million in debt, but it is to the candidate himself.
Fred Thompson. Due to his late announcement, and the structure of his campaign, Thompson's fundraising report covered June 4 to September 30. During that time, he raised $12.8 million, including $9.3 million in the 3rd quarter itself. His campaign spent a total of $5.7 million, and has $7.1 million on hand and $678,000 in debt.
John McCain. The McCain campaign brought in $5.7 million during the quarter, spent $5.5 million, and finished the period with $3.5 million in the bank. The McCain campaign is carrying about $1.7 million in debt.
Ron Paul. Paul's libertarian-oriented campaign brought in $5.2 million in the period, mainly through online fundraising. The campaign spent $2.1 million and ended September with $5.4 million on hand and no debt.
Mike Huckabee. Huckabee brought in over $1 million in the quarter, spent $819,000, and finished with $651,000 in the bank and $47,000 in debt.
Sam Brownback. The Brownback campaign raised $817,000 during the quarter, spent $1.3 million, and finished with $94,000 in cash and no debt.
Duncan Hunter. Hunter's low-profile campaign brought in $486,000 last quarter and spent $616,000. The campaign finished September with $132,000 in the bank and $50,000 in debt.
Tom Tancredo. Tancredo's immigration-focused campaign brought in $767,000 during the quarter, spent $1.2 million, and had $110,000 in the bank with $295,000 in debt.
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Jay Leno: "Rudy Giuliani and John McCain have teamed up to attack Mitt Romney. See, you need two people to attack Romney, one for each of his positions on the issues."
Jay Leno: "Now political experts are saying that Giuliani and McCain could be the Republican ticket. Or a remake of 'Grumpy Old Men'. Either one of those."
David Letterman: Top Ten Questions President Bush Asked The Dalai Lama. "6. 'Are you that Japanese guy my dad threw up on?'
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